Timer



Nov. 6 1923. 1,472,939

, F. REGELMAN TIMER Filed March 22 1920 Patented Nov. e, 1923.'

UNITED STATES 1,472,939 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK RIEGELMAN, OF RUMSON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR- T BER'IHA W. REID, 0F HIGHLANDS, NEW JERSEY.

' TIMER.

Application led March 22, 1920. Serial No. 367,954.

' tion engines such as are used in Ford automobiles.

The object of the invention is to provlde a new and improved timer arranged to positively eliminate short circuiting by strands of wire conductors coming accidentally in contact with the timer casing. Another object is to provide a wiping contact between the revolving timer arm and the fixed contact on the distributing casing thereby preventing earlier contacts in case of wear of the parts. Another object is to prevent road jolts interfering with the proper functioning of the timer. Another object is to enable the user to observe at any time the working of the timer.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out inthe claim.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the timer on the line 1-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is an inner face view of the casing; and A Figure 3 is an outer face View of the casing.

The casing of the timer is preferably made of a single piece of glass and is provided at its innerface with an annular raceway 11 extending-in a plane transverse to the axis of the casing. In the face of the raceway 11 are embedded or let in a series of contacts 12, preferably in the form of disks provided with Shanks 13 extending through the casing 10 to the outside thereof, as plainly7 illustrated in Figure 1. The outer ends of the Shanks 13 terminate in binding posts 14 for connection with the distributing wires. It will be noticed that the contacts 12 are preferably spaced equal distances apart as plainly shown in Figure 2, and saidcontacts are successively engaged at their' faces by a contact button 20 having a shank 21 slidably fitting into a recess 22 formed in the timer arm 23 secured to the timer shaft 24 extending centrally into the casing 10, as plainly shown in Figure 1.. A spring 25 is seated in the bottom of thel recess 22 and presses against the shank 2l to hold the button 2() in Contact with the face 0f the bearing l1, it being understood that the button 20 successively moves into wiping engagement with the contacts l2 when the timer shaft 24 is rotated.

It will be noticed that by the arrangement described the operator can at all times see the working of the timer owing to the diaphanous material of which the. casing 10 is made. i

It will also be noticed that when the timer is in use the button 20 moves into wiping engagement with the contacts 12 and hence any wear on the button 20 or the contacts 12 does not alter the time of contact.

It is understood that in timers as now generally constructed and having a roller on the timer arm traveling on a peripheral face of the casing an earlier timing is produced in case the roller wears, but such earlier timing is positively prevented with the construc-tion shown and above described.

It will also be noticed that by the construction set forth any jolting action incident to the automobile traveling over a rough road does not affect the timer as the button 20 is at all times held in firm contact with the bearing surface 11 and with the contacts 12 while moving over the same. This is because the thrust of the spring pressed brush is substantially horizontal and therefore at right angles to the plane of the usual road shocks. AFurthermore, the vertical face of the racewav provides a smooth flat surface over whic thebrush rides with practically no friction. The use of glass avoids any need for lubri eating either this raceway or the bearing in the vertical support with which the timer housing is rotatably engaged, as shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, no injury results if oil should leak through into'the housing from the bearing of the horizontal timer shaft 24 because of the glass being impervious to oil and not subject to deterioration.

-The walls of the housing are made suliciently thick and heavy to stand ordinary handling and use and for the sake of simplicity and reduced cost, the lug or lever by which the timer housing is rotatably adjusted in its bearing, is preferably formed as an integral part projecting from one side of the glass housing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Having thus described my invention, claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A ioW tension timer for ignition systems of the character set forth, comprising in combination with a rotating timer' arm carrying a brush, a one-piece hoiiow glass housing having integral end and side Weil-s surrounding and covering the rotating timer arm, said housing having at the inside face of the end wail thereof, an integral at smooth hard glass track opposed to the brush of the timer erm With a zourality of contacts set substantially iiush therein ior engagement by the brush travelingn over the track, said end Weil of the heus ing seeing substantially transparent to discloseA the action of the contacting face of the brush in its travel over the track and the contacts seated therein, the integral glass side Wadi of the housing also being substan tiaiiy transparent to disclose the engagement of the crush With the track and contoets, nhie rotatahy over the timer arm for the purpose of varying the moment of ignition and the rim of the housing providing a smooth giass edge for easy siiding engagement with :i suitable supporting hearing.

1nRANK RIEGELMAN.'

the housing as it Whole being adjust` 

